Dear UIS Students, Faculty and Staff:
Thanks
again to everyone for their flexibility as we adapt to the constantly evolving
nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we will present our UIS health stats at
our regular briefing this Thursday, as you know, we experienced the highest
number of one-day positive cases from our saliva testing on Monday. We received
these results Tuesday morning, and we quickly issued a two-day pause in our
on-ground operations.
Testing
conducted on Tuesday showed we had three positive cases from our saliva testing
program and one positive from an off-campus testing site. After evaluating what
was learned through contact tracing and yesterday’s lower positivity rate, the
COVID-19 Rapid Response Team has recommended—and I agreed—that we will resume
in-person instruction tomorrow, Nov. 12, while
also reducing non-instructional activities to only essential activities. We
have no indication of virus transmission within classroom and workspace
environments, but it is clear that transmission is occurring off campus and
through social gatherings and visiting bars/restaurants. Thank you to our
students, faculty and staff for strictly adhering to our campus guidelines in
these settings.
A full list of our approach to campus activities for the next two weeks is below. It is important to note that our entire region has entered a dangerous period for COVID-19 cases, and hospitalizations are rising throughout the state. We must be good community partners to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent our medical systems from becoming further strained, and remember that our behaviors both on and off campus contribute to the bigger picture. I strongly encourage you to stay home as much as possible, leaving only for in-person courses, work, COVID-19 testing, getting food, individual study or recreation, or essential errands (groceries, pharmacy, etc.).
- In-person instruction may resume.
- On-site work may resume and continue as necessary, but remote work is encouraged for employees who can perform their duties remotely.
- The Student Union will be open until 6 p.m. daily for individuals who want to use the facility to study. No in-person group studying (two or more people) will be allowed; masks must be worn (no dining inside allowed), and individuals must study at least six feet apart.
- Brookens Library will reopen at noon tomorrow for individual study hours and Grab-n-Go; a full schedule will be posted on the library’s website.
- For group studying (two or more people), students should pursue virtual formats such as Zoom.
- Food Service will remain grab-n-go only until 6 p.m. daily; no indoor dining will be allowed in the Student Union.
- Individual outdoor recreation is encouraged and preferred.
- TRAC will reduce capacity to 25 percent for individual workouts; no in-person programming will occur.
- All non-instructional gatherings scheduled between now and Thanksgiving should be canceled or converted to a virtual format. This includes events previously approved by the CRRT through the Gathering Request Form.
- Small-group outdoor campus tours conducted through the Office of Admission may continue.
